There is an important role for the emerging modern First Nations agricultural and fishing sectors to play in the mainstream Australian primary industries.
The Australian 精东传媒app University's First Nations Portfolio and Fenner School of Environment and Society have completed a landmark baseline study that is a preliminary examination and delineation of the agricultural capacity of the national Indigenous Estate.
First Nations people have legal interests to more than 57% of Australia鈥檚 land mass yet their participation in primary industries is minimal.
The purpose of the study was to attain a better understanding of the relationship between First Nations primary production enterprises and larger Australian primary industries, focusing primarily on agriculture.
Baseline Study 鈥 Agricultural capacity of the Indigenous estate says that there is room for rapid growth in First Nations agriculture.
The situational analysis study was led by The Australian 精东传媒app University鈥檚 (ANU) First Nations Portfolio (FNP) in partnership with:
- The Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia (CRCNA)
- Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation
- Commonwealth Department of Agriculture
- The ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society.
Fallow fields
It found that:
- Significant primary production occurs on First Nations land but very little of that is carried out by First Nations enterprises
- A small but emerging First Nations agricultural industry is already delivering benefits to First Nations communities
- First Nations agriculture has potential to deliver benefits to the entire Australian economy.
The study says a data deficit means that the nature and extent of existing agricultural production on First Nations land needs to be better understood. This would help identify acceleration and growth opportunities.
鈥淎cademic contention continues with respect to the extent to which, prior to colonisation, First Nations Australians were engaged not only in hunting and gathering, but also in food production systems more akin to agriculture,鈥 wrote lead author Honorary Associate Professor Russell Barnett of FNP.
鈥淩egardless, it is increasingly apparent that there is an important role for the emerging modern First Nations agricultural and fishing sectors to play in the mainstream Australian primary industries, whereby Traditional Ecological Knowledge is used to underpin unique and valuable production systems.鈥
Professor Barnett said that the lack of any First Nations considerations in the agricultural development plans of both the 精东传媒app Farmers Federation and the Australian Government pointed to 鈥渉istorical tensions between First Nations Australians and the agricultural industry that has a legacy of 230 years鈥.
He said while Australian Government data on First Nations agriculture was most likely incomplete and inaccurate, it still showed that in 2016 there were around 600 First Nations primary industries businesses and around 4,600 First Nations peoples employed in primary industries.
鈥淧reserving culture and caring for Country are critical components of First Nations primary industries business models,鈥 he said.
Ripe for development
The study used a spatial analysis to model the distribution of agricultural suitability across the Indigenous Estate. This found there was high growth potential across many areas, especially the northern Australian coastline and western Queensland. However, land that was First Nations-owned or under exclusive native title was generally less suitable than areas of shared tenure.
The report says the Indigenous Estate covers:
- 134 million hectares under Indigenous ownership
- 174 million hectares under Indigenous management
- 337 million hectares of land subject to other special rights.
It found that 10 per cent of this land is highly suitable for agricultural development.
Read the report .
